Ratnapura electorate to be developed

N.P. Rajadorai Ratnapura special corr

A programme has been drawn up to develop Ratnapura electorate, which was long neglected. Apart from major towns, small towns development is also included in the programme, said Minister of Highways and Road Development T.B. Ekanayake.

He said so when he visited Ratnapura to commence development programmes amounting to Rs. 221 million to develop Pulungupitiya junction roundabout and the roadway, to widen and develop the road from Warakatota bridge to the Ratnapura police station and to develop the Eratna road leading to Adam's Peak.

The chief organiser of the SLFP in the Ratnapura electorate and Minister of Power and Energy W.D.J. Seneviratna presided. The Highways Minister said due to constant rains and the consequent floods the roads always go under water and get damaged. Due to lack of a proper drainage system damage is caused.

The Minister said he would introduce a Road Act in Parliament. The new Act will solve problems such as acquisition of land when widening the road and the payment of compensation to the land owners.

The Highways Minister said there is not a single country in the world which pays compensation for acquiring land.

The present Act has no say on a road constructed by the Government or an institution and the same road being demolished by another institution. The new Act will have solution to such matters. Power and Energy Minister John Seneviratna said the roads in Ratnapura get damaged due to floods.

He as the organiser of Ratnapura electorate had discussed this problem with the then Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and had stressed the importance of developing these roads. That has come to reality today.

Ratnapura Mayor J.M. Chandradasa Jayasinghe explained about rush taking place in front of St. Louis school where children from five schools and a great number of people gather to cross the road.

There is also a traffic jam on this road and to overcome such difficulties he requested the construction of an overhead bridge.Ratnapura Divisional Secretary Devapriya Vijayaraj also spoke.